Search Results (219)

Ruminant livestock production plays a crucial role in the agricultural systems of Sub-Saharan Africa, significantly supporting rural livelihoods through income generation, improved nutrition, and employment opportunities. Despite its importance, the sector continues to face substantial challenges, such as low feed quality, seasonal feed shortages, and climate-related stresses, all of which limit productivity and sustainability. Considering these challenges, the adoption of natural feed additives has emerged as a promising strategy to enhance animal performance, optimise nutrient utilisation, and mitigate environmental impacts, including the reduction of enteric methane emissions. This review underscores the significant potential of natural feed additives such as plant extracts, essential oils, probiotics, and mineral-based supplements such as fossil shell flour as sustainable alternatives to conventional growth promoters in ruminant production systems across the region. All available documented evidence on the topic from 2000 to 2024 was collated and synthesised through standardised methods of systematic review protocol—PRISMA. Out of 319 research papers downloaded, six were included and analysed directly or indirectly in this study. The results show that the addition of feed additives to ruminant diets in all the studies reviewed significantly (p < 0.05) improved growth parameters such as average daily growth (ADG), feed intake, and feed conversion ratio (FCR) compared to the control group. However, no significant (p > 0.05) effect was found on cold carcass weight (CCW), meat percentage, fat percentage, bone percentage, or intramuscular fat (IMF%) compared to the control. The available evidence indicates that these additives can provide tangible benefits, including improved growth performance, better feed efficiency, enhanced immune responses, and superior meat quality, while also supporting environmental sustainability by reducing nitrogen excretion and decreasing dependence on antimicrobial agents. Full article

Silvopastoral systems, though ecologically beneficial, remain underrepresented in the European Union’s Common Agricultural Policy and are seldom studied in Mediterranean contexts. The current study assesses both the environmental and economic aspects of five typical silvopastoral systems in central Greece, encompassing cattle, sheep, and goat farming. A Life Cycle Assessment approach was implemented to quantify greenhouse gas emissions using economic allocation, distributing impacts between milk and meat outputs. Enteric fermentation was the major emission source, accounting for up to 65.14% of total emissions in beef-based systems, while feeding and soil emissions were more prominent in mixed and small ruminant systems. Total farm-level emissions ranged from 60,609 to 273,579 kg CO₂eq per year. Economically, only beef-integrated systems achieved an average annual profitability above EUR 20,000 per farm, based on financial data averaged over the last five years (2020–2024) from selected case studies in central Greece, while the remaining systems fell below the national poverty threshold for an average household, underscoring concerns about their economic viability. The findings underline the dual challenges of economic viability and policy neglect, stressing the need for targeted support if these multifunctional systems are to add value to EU climate goals and rural sustainability. Full article

Prenatal and postnatal skeletal muscle development in ruminants is coordinated by interactions between genetic, nutritional, epigenetic, and endocrine factors. This review focuses on the influence of maternal nutrition during gestation on fetal myogenesis, satellite cell dynamics, and myogenic regulatory factors expression, including MYF5, MYOD1, and MYOG. Studies in sheep and cattle indicate that nutrient restriction or overnutrition alters muscle fiber number, the cross-sectional area, and the transcriptional regulation of myogenic genes in offspring. Postnatally, muscle hypertrophy is primarily mediated by satellite cells, which are activated via PAX7, MYOD, and MYF5, and regulated through mechanisms such as CARM1-induced chromatin remodeling and miR-31-mediated mRNA expression. Hormonal signaling via the GH–IGF1 axis and thyroid hormones further modulate satellite cell proliferation and protein accretion. Genetic variants, such as myostatin mutations in Texel sheep and Belgian Blue cattle, enhance muscle mass but may compromise reproductive efficiency. Nutritional interventions, including the plane of nutrition, supplementation strategies, and environmental stressors such as heat and stocking density, significantly influence muscle fiber composition and carcass traits. This review provides a comprehensive overview of skeletal muscle programming in ruminants, tracing the developmental trajectory from progenitor cell differentiation to postnatal growth and maturation. These insights underscore the need for integrated approaches combining maternal diet optimization, molecular breeding, and precision livestock management to enhance muscle growth, meat quality, and production sustainability in ruminant systems. Full article

IMF (intramuscular fat, IMF), as a key index for evaluating meat quality traits (shear force and cooking loss, etc.), and its deposition process are jointly regulated by nutritional and genetic factors. In this study, we analyzed the molecular regulation mechanism of IMF deposition in the LD (longissimus dorsal muscle, LD) by dietary energy level in Pamir yaks. Meat quality assessment showed that the meat quality of the High-energy diet group (1.53 MJ/Kg, G) and the Medium-energy diet group (1.38 MJ/Kg, Z) were significantly improved compared with that of the Low-energy diet group (0.75 MJ/Kg, C), in which IMF content in the LD of yaks in G group was significantly higher (p < 0.05) compared with Z and C groups. Further analysis by combined transcriptomics and lipid metabolomics revealed that the differences in IMF deposition mainly originated from the metabolism of lipids, such as TG (triglycerides, TG), PS (phosphatidylserine, PS), and LPC (lysophosphatidylcholine, LPC), and were influenced by SFRP4, FABP4, GADD45A, PDGFRA, RBP4, and DGAT2 genes, further confirming the importance of lipid–gene interactions in IMF deposition. This study reveals the energy-dependent epigenetic regulatory mechanism of IMF deposition in plateau ruminants, which provides molecular targets for optimizing yak nutritional strategies and quality meat production, while having important theoretical and practical value for the sustainable development of livestock husbandry on the Tibetan Plateau. Full article

Background: Heat stress challenges small ruminants in semi-arid regions, requiring integrative multi-modeling approaches to identify adaptive thermotolerance traits. This study aimed to identify phenotypic biomarkers and explore the relationships between thermoregulatory responses and hematological, behavioral, morphometric, carcass, and meat traits in lambs. Methods: Twenty 4-month-old non-castrated male lambs, with an average body weight of 19.0 ± 5.11 kg, were evaluated under natural heat stress. Results: Thermoregulatory variables were significantly associated with non-carcass components (p = 0.002), carcass performance (p = 0.027), commercial meat cuts (p = 0.032), and morphometric measures (p = 0.029), with a trend for behavioral responses (p = 0.078). The main phenotypic traits related to thermoregulation included idleness duration, cold carcass weight, blood, liver, spleen, shank, chest circumference, and body length. Exploratory factor analysis reduced the significant indicators to seven latent domains: carcass traits, commercial meat cuts, non-carcass components, idleness and feeding behavior, and morphometric and thermoregulatory responses. Bayesian network modeling revealed interdependencies, showing carcass traits influenced by morphometric and thermoregulatory responses and non-carcass traits linked to ingestive behavior. Thermoregulatory variables were not associated with meat quality or hematological traits. Conclusions: These findings highlight the complex biological relationships underlying heat adaptation and emphasize the potential of combining phenomic data with computational tools to support genomic selection for climate-resilient and welfare-oriented breeding programs. Full article

Two types of chito were evaluated: non-pressed (NP, immediate consumption) and pressed (P, for sale). The characteristics were analysed in samples of three years (2021–2023). The pH, water activity (a_w), proximate composition, heme iron, sodium chloride (NaCl), water soluble nitrogen (WSN), color, metmyoglobin (MMb), texture, lipid oxidation (Thiobarbituric acid reactive substances, TBARS), and microbiological analysis were evaluated, while volatile compounds were identified in NP and P. The a_w value showed a mean value of 0.70 in NP and P, values reported for typical commercial dried meat samples. However, P showed higher pH values (5.65–5.75), as well as a high level of fat (6.44–15.03%), NaCl (10.93–11.21%), lipid oxidation (3.88–6.32 mg MDA/kg meat), and hardness (223.67–574.01 N), with a browner color than NP, whereas microbial counts were similar between NP and P. Typical breakdown products derived from lipid oxidation were the main volatile compounds detected in chito, with aldehydes and alcohols being the most detected in P. The results suggest that some of the physicochemical characteristics, as well as the volatile profile, showed some differences between both types of chito, which suggests that there was a variation in the meat product associated with the making processes. Full article

Tan sheep outperform Dorper sheep in meat-quality traits, including muscle fiber characteristics and fatty acid composition, while Dorper sheep excel in carcass weight. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying these breed-specific traits, especially gut microbiota–bile acid (BA) interactions, remain poorly understood. As host–microbiota co-metabolites, BAs are converted by colonic microbiota via bile salt hydrolase (BSH) and dehydroxylases into secondary BAs, which activate BA receptors to regulate host lipid and glucose metabolism. This study analyzed colonic BA profiles in 8-month-old Tan and Dorper sheep, integrating microbiome and longissimus dorsi muscle transcriptome data to investigate the gut–muscle axis in meat-quality and carcass trait regulation. Results showed that Tan sheep had 1.6-fold higher secondary BA deoxycholic acid (DHCA) levels than Dorper sheep (p < 0.05), whereas Dorper sheep accumulated conjugated primary BAs glycocholic acid (GCA) and tauro-α-muricholic acid (p < 0.05). Tan sheep exhibited downregulated hepatic BA synthesis genes, including cholesterol 7α-hydroxylase (CYP7A1) and 27-hydroxylase (CYP27A1), alongside upregulated transport genes such as bile salt export pump (BSEP), sodium taurocholate cotransporting polypeptide (NTCP), and ATP-binding cassette subfamily B member 4 (ABCB4), with elevated gut BSH activity (p < 0.05). DHCA was strongly correlated with g_Ruminococcaceae_UCG-014, ENSOARG00000001393, and ENSOARG00000016726, muscle fiber density, diameter, and linoleic acid (C18:2n6t) (|r| > 0.5, p < 0.05). In contrast, GCA was significantly associated with g_Lachnoclostridium_10, g_Rikenellaceae_RC9_gut_group, ENSOARG0000001232, carcass weight, and net meat weight (|r| > 0.5, p < 0.05). In conclusion, breed-specific colonic BA profiles were shaped by host–microbiota interactions, with DHCA potentially promoting meat quality in Tan sheep via regulation of muscle fiber development and fatty acid deposition, and GCA influencing carcass traits in Dorper sheep. This study provides novel insights into the gut microbiota–bile acid axis in modulating ruminant phenotypic traits. Full article

The objective of this study was to evaluate whether the addition of fibrolytic enzymes to the diet of cattle in confinement improves feed digestibility weight gain; as well as evaluating the profile of fatty acids in the ruminal environment and in meat fatty acids profile. In total, 24 male dairy cattle (Holstein) aged 8 months and weighing an average of 212 kg, were divided into 2 groups: control (without additive) and treatment (0.25 g of enzymes/kg of dry matter of total diet). The experiment lasted 120 days. The first 20 days are allocated for the adaptation period. During the study, samples of blood, ruminal fluid, and feces were collected, as well as weighing the cattle and measuring their daily feed consumption. There was no effect of treatment on body weight, feed intake, feed efficiency, and nutrient digestibility (p > 0.05). Cholesterol levels were higher in the serum of cattle that consumed the enzyme; serum amylase activity was higher in cattle that received the additive only on day 120 of the experiment (p < 0.05). There was a greater amount of volatile fatty acids in the ruminal fluid, combined with a greater amount of acetic acid. The amount of fat in the meat of cattle that consumed fibrolytic enzymes was higher compared to the control group (p < 0.05). Meat from cattle in the treatment group had lower amounts of saturated fatty acids and higher amounts of unsaturated fatty acids (p < 0.05). The fibrolytic enzymes addition altered rumen fermentation in such a way that lipid metabolism was changed, which had a serious impact on cholesterol and tissue levels, that is, in the meat that had a greater amount of total lipids, an unsaturated fat. Full article

Toxoplasmosis is a significant parasitic zoonosis caused by Toxoplasma gondii. Among livestock animals, small ruminants, especially sheep and goats, are the most infected. This infection is a leading cause of abortion, resulting in considerable economic losses for goat breeders. The present study aimed to assess the prevalence of T. gondii infection in goats in northern Thailand, with an emphasis on its potential zoonotic transmission to humans. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) targeting the T. gondii dihydrofolate reductase-thymidylate synthase (Tgdhfr-ts) gene was employed for molecular detection. This represents the first report of T. gondii molecular detection in blood samples from small ruminants in Thailand by PCR. A total of 176 meat goat blood samples were analyzed, yielding an 8.52% (15/176) positivity rate for T. gondii DNA. The selected DNA sequences from the positive T. gondii DNA displayed a high degree of nucleotide sequence homology with the reference Tgdhfr-ts sequence. Phylogenetic analysis revealed a single clade alongside other T. gondii strains, showing no differentiation based on genotype. This study contributes to the understanding of T. gondii epidemiology and provides a foundation for future strategies to control and manage T. gondii transmission in livestock populations. Full article

Fatty acid contributes notably to meat nutrition value. A previous study investigated how complex plant extracts (CPE) can improve the fatty acid composition of ruminants, but the molecular mechanism remains unknown. This study aimed to examine the effect of dietary CPE supplementation on sheep growth performance and fatty acid composition in back fat (BF), combining lipidomics and transcriptomics analyses to explain the underlying mechanisms. Thirty-six female sheep, weighing 29.92 ± 2.52 kg and of a similar age (~4 months old), were randomly assigned into two groups: one received a basal diet (CTRL group), and the other received the same diet supplemented with 80 mg/kg of CPE (CPE group) for 75 days. The results revealed that the values of carcass fat content (GR) in the CPE group were significantly increased (p = 0.008), and the composition of fatty acid was changed. Lipidomic analysis indicated that CPE modulated lipid metabolism by regulating the contents of lipid molecules such as phosphatidylcholine (PC), fatty acyls (FAs), cardiolipin (CL), and triglyceride (TAG). After the addition of CPE, the lipid metabolism of BF was regulated mainly by regulating the glycerophospholipid metabolism, TNF signaling pathway, and cytokine–cytokine receptor interaction signaling pathway. These results revealed that changes in fatty acids were affected by the added CPE and corresponding molecular changes, which may provide new insights on the molecular level for applying CPE in sheep to improve fatty acid composition. Full article

Glycerol can effectively replace corn as an energy source in lamb diets without negatively impacting productive performance. This study evaluated the effects of substituting ground corn with different glycerol levels on the productive performance, ruminal fermentation, carcass characteristics, and meat quality at 24 h, 7, 14, and 21 d post-slaughter. A total of 40 male Suffolk × Hampshire crossbred lambs (25 ± 5 kg live weight) were used in a completely randomized design with four treatment groups (n = 10 each): 0% glycerol (GLY₀), 5% glycerol (GLY0₅), 10% glycerol (GLY₁₀), and 15% glycerol (GLY₁₅). Including glycerol in the diet did not affect growth performance (p > 0.05). However, it did lead to an increase (p < 0.05) in the concentrations of NH₃-N and the proportions of propionic and butyric acids, while the acetic acid levels decreased (p < 0.05). The backfat thickness, loin eye area (LEA), and carcass yield were not significantly affected (p > 0.05) by the addition of glycerol. Additionally, pH and color were also unaffected (p > 0.05), although the water-holding capacity showed a decrease (p < 0.05) over the shelf life of the meat. The chemical composition of the meat remained similar across all treatments, time points, and interactions (p > 0.05). In contrast, the protein content was significantly affected (p < 0.05) by the glycerol inclusion, time, and interactions between treatment and time. The results indicate that substituting up to 15% of ground corn with glycerol in lamb diets does not negatively impact productive performance, backfat thickness, LEA, carcass traits, or meat quality during shelf life. Throughout the shelf life, the crude protein concentrations and water-holding capacity decreased, while the propionic acid and NH₃-N concentrations increased. Full article

The buffalo species (Bubalus bubalis) is crucial for the global economy, supplying high-nutritional-value animal proteins vital for children’s growth. These animals efficiently convert fiber into energy and thrive in various harsh environments, from frigid climates to hot, humid areas, including wetlands. They produce milk and meat while supporting the sustainability of ecosystems that other ruminants cannot inhabit. Buffalo offers a unique opportunity to supply resources for both rural communities and larger farms located in specific regions, such as marshlands and humid savannahs. They also thrive on extensive pastures and family farms, thus preserving biodiversity, habitats, and cultural practices. Intensive farming brings distinct challenges and is often criticized for its negative effects on climate change. To counter these impacts, multiple strategies have been researched and implemented. These include enhancing livestock genetics, adopting sustainable agricultural practices, optimizing local feed resources (including by-products), managing manure (with an emphasis on renewable energy), and improving animal health and welfare. This review explores various buffalo farming system applications in different global contexts. It is based on the hypothesis that the adaptable traits of buffalo, as well as the environmental and economic challenges that must be addressed for sustainability, are the key factors in determining the viability of such enterprises. Full article

Stimulating skeletal muscle satellite cells (SMSCs) with amino acids improves their proliferation and differentiation, enhancing skeletal muscle mass, thereby increasing lean meat rate. This study explored lysine (Lys)’s effects on SMSCs and their protein profiles in Sunit sheep. SMSCs were successfully isolated, assessing their survival and proliferation after Lys stimulation at varying concentrations using the CCK-8 assay. Western blotting revealed Lys-induced changes in myogenic differentiation protein expression, while immunocytochemistry detected α-Actinin and Myostatin within the SMSCs. TMT proteomics identified differentially expressed proteins, which underwent functional and interaction analyses, with RT-qPCR validating the corresponding gene expression. This study revealed that 4 mmol/L of Lys significantly boosted SMSC proliferation. A 24 h stimulation with this concentration reduced Myostatin expression, and increased MYOD1 and α-Actinin levels in the SMSCs. A proteomic analysis identified 577 differentially expressed proteins, primarily associated with lipoblast differentiation and muscle development, as highlighted by the GO enrichment analysis. A pathway analysis further demonstrated these proteins’ involvement in the autophagy–lysosome and NOD-like receptor signaling pathways. Lys enhances SMSC proliferation, differentiation, and adipogenesis in Sunit sheep, exhibiting antioxidant properties and supporting muscle stability and amino acid metabolism. It may also have anti-inflammatory, anti-pyroptotic, and proteolysis-inhibitory effects, offering insights into muscle growth mechanisms through amino acid supplementation in ruminants. Full article

Yeast culture is widely used in ruminants to improve gut health, immunity, and productivity; however, its impact on meat quality remains unclear. This study aimed to investigate the effects of yeast culture supplementation in the basic diet on meat quality of Small-tail Han sheep. A total of 40 Small-tail Han sheep (17.5 ± 1.2 kg) were randomly assigned to two treatment groups, with 20 sheep in each group. The sheep were fed either a basic diet (CON) or the basic diet supplemented with 1% yeast culture (YSD) for 90 days. At the end of the trial, the Longissimus dorsi muscle (LOD) of the sheep was collected for meat quality evaluation, as well as transcriptome and metabolome analyses. Meat quality data were analyzed using t-tests, while transcriptome and metabolome data were analyzed using bioinformatics tools. The results showed that YSD supplementation significantly reduced carcass fat content (p < 0.05) and increased the pH values (p < 0.05) of LOD compared to the CON group. Multi-omics analysis revealed significant changes in the levels of 349 transcripts and 149 metabolites (p < 0.05) in the YSD group relative to the CON group. These changes were primarily associated with immune response pathways and purine metabolism. Further integrated transcriptomics and metabolomics analysis identified significant alterations in the expression of adenylate kinase 4 (AK4) and ribonucleotide reductase M2 (RRM2), which influenced purine metabolites, such as ADP, GMP, 3′-AMP, 3′-GMP, dGDP, adenine, guanosine, and guanine. These metabolites were markedly upregulated in the LOD of the sheep supplemented with yeast culture. In conclusion, yeast culture supplementation improved the meat quality of Small-tail Han sheep, potentially through the enhancement of immune response and purine metabolism. These findings offer valuable insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying the effects of yeast culture on animal health and meat quality. Full article

Summer turnips (Brassica rapa L.) have become one of the main supplementary crops in ruminant livestock systems in southern Chile because of accelerated forage growth as well as greater forage yield and nutritive value in the dry season. This study investigated the effects of forage turnip supplementation on the physicochemical and sensory quality of beef from steers. Twenty-seven Holstein–Friesian steers were allocated to one of three dietary treatments: pasture plus concentrate (Control), 50% turnip with a basal diet of pasture hay and rolled corn (T50), and 70% turnip with the same basal diet (T70). Carcass yields and physicochemical and sensory beef attributes, including fatty acid composition of intramuscular fat (IMF) in lean tissue, were measured. Compared to the Control diet, finishing steers on 50% or 70% turnips increased meat redness (a* > 25.9 vs. 22.9 in Control), IMF (1.79% in T50 vs. 1.12% in Control), polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) (especially n-3), cholesterol, and specific minerals (sodium, manganese and iron); this resulted in a reduction in the subcutaneous fat thickness (0.29 cm in T50, 0.25 cm in T70 vs. 0.51 cm in Control) and shear force of cooked meat (p < 0.05). However, no differences were found between diets in beef juiciness, flavor, and tenderness assessed by trained panelists (p > 0.05). Increasing forage turnip inclusion to 70% resulted in similar beef quality to the 50% inclusion level. Foraged turnips present a promising strategy for producing high-quality beef during periods of limited pasture growth. Full article